Vygotsky in the mirror of cultural interpretations

When Vygotskyʹs theory became accessible to American scholars, it was interpreted, understood, and further developed according to American cultural and intellectual traditions. American scholars contributed much to the creative development of his ideas on all levels: theory, research, and applications. They also played a crucial role in spreading his ideas throughout the world. In this chapter, however, I will be dealing, predominantly, with some cultural biases in understanding Vygotskyʹs ideas. As Alex Kozulin (2002, personal communication) recently noticed: On one hand, American scholars were instrumental in acquainting English speaking audiences with Vygotskyʹs ideas, on the other hand, in the process of this acquaintance Vygotskyʹs ideas underwent a rather strong Americanization. This trend became clear already when the first (abridged) translation of Vygotskyʹs Thought and Language edited by Bruner appeared in 1962 (Vygotsky, 1962). While empirical aspects of Vygotskyʹs work were retained, almost all poetic, philosophical and historical images were purged from this edition. I have been fortunate in having firsthand experience with Vygotskyʹs ideas both in Russia and in America, first as a student and professor in Russia, and then as a professor in the United States. Many years of teaching courses on Vygotsky in the School of Psychology at Moscow State University and several years of teaching Vygotsky-related courses in American graduate schools of education have provided me with excellent materials on how different interpretations of his ideas can be. These variations go far beyond any individual differences – however wide the scope of individual differences may be.